Homeowner newsletter – October 2026
Homeowner newsletter – October 2026
Hello and welcome to your October newsletter!
It’s been a busy first month for us as Lifestone Homes, and we hope you’re getting used to our new name. While our name has changed, our focus remains the same – listening to you, improving our services and making sure you feel supported in your home.
We’ve got plenty to share with you this month, including:
- You said, we did: find out how your feedback is helping to improve our services.
- Have your say: discover opportunities to get involved and help shape our services.
- Win a £50 voucher: find out how to enter our latest competitions!
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter.
Rachel McFarlane
Executive Director of Customer
Lifestone Homes
Introducing our new Chief Executive Officer
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Elly Hoult as our new Chief Executive Officer.
Elly, who is currently Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Peabody, will start her new role on 1 April 2027. You can find out more about Elly here.
You said we did – your feedback makes a difference
Between July and September, many of you shared your views and helped shape our services at Lifestone Homes. Here are just a few examples of how your feedback has made a difference.
Making our annual reports easier to understand
You said: our annual reports were good, but they were too long.
We did: we created a short summary video highlighting the key information and achievements, so you can get the main updates without having to read the full reports.
Improving our policies
430 residents helped us review policies covering estate management, shared ownership, aids and adaptations, and managing unacceptable behaviour.
Here’s one example of how your feedback helped improve our Shared Ownership Policy.
You said: you wanted clearer information about the costs and financial responsibilities involved in buying a shared ownership home.
We did: we updated the policy to make it clearer how we assess affordability and to explain the costs and responsibilities involved in buying a shared ownership home.
Get involved!
Help us make resident information easier to find – and receive a £30 voucher!
We’re looking for residents to help us test how easy it is to find and understand information about your home and our services on our website.
This work supports the new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs). We want to make sure the information we provide is clear, accessible and useful.
What’s involved?
Starting in mid-November, we’ll ask you to complete five short online activities over four weeks. Each activity will take no more than 15 minutes and will involve finding information online and telling us about your experience.
You don’t need any specialist knowledge – we’re testing our information, not you.
As a thank you, everyone who completes all five activities will receive a £30 shopping voucher.
Interested? Register your interest by 5pm on Monday 9 November 2026.
Help shape how we listen to residents
We’re developing our new Resident Voice and Influence Principles, which set out how we’ll listen to you, involve you in decisions, act on your feedback and keep you informed about the difference you’re making.
We’ve created two versions of these principles, and we want your help to decide which works best.
We’d love to know what you think. Are the principles clear and easy to understand? Do they reflect what’s important to you? Is there anything we could improve?
You have to be in it to win it!
Spot the hazard and win!
Think you can spot a hazard that needs reporting? From dodgy wires to peeling paint, take our quick quiz to test your knowledge of what should be reported to keep your home safe.
Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered into a prize draw for one of two £50 vouchers. It’s quick, easy, and could help you learn something useful – good luck!
Remember: if you ever spot something in your own home that we are responsible for fixing or you are worried something is unsafe, please let us know. Call us on 0300 303 1010.
Follow us on Facebook for your chance to win £50!
We’ve got a new name, and we’d love you to stay connected!
To celebrate the launch of Lifestone Homes, we’re giving two lucky residents the chance to win a £50 shopping voucher each!
Entering is easy:
👍 Follow Lifestone Homes on Facebook.
📝 Complete our short competition entry form here.
🎁 We’ll randomly select two lucky residents to win!
By following us, you’ll be able to keep up with the latest news, important updates about our services, and opportunities to get involved.
Hurry! Entries close at 11.59pm on Monday 7 December.
Open to Lifestone Homes residents aged 18 or over. Terms and conditions apply.
An easier way to pay your rent over the phone
We’ve made it easier to pay your rent over the phone, using our Allpay automated payment line. It’s now the first option when you call us, so you can get through to make a payment more quickly.
Remember, you’ll need your rent card (sometimes called a payment or Allpay card). If you’ve lost your card, or need a replacement, you can request one through the resident portal or by calling us on 0300 303 1010.
You can also manage your home online through our resident portal. Pay your rent, report repairs and book appointments, all in one place.
What happens when you report anti-social behaviour?
We know that anti-social behaviour (ASB) can affect how comfortable and safe you feel in your home. When you report a concern to us, our Community Safety team will investigate, assess any risks and gather evidence to help us decide the best way forward.
Where possible, we try to resolve issues early, by speaking to those involved, giving warnings, offering support, or working with the police and other local agencies. If the behaviour continues, or is serious, we may consider legal action. However, taking this can take time, and only a judge can decide whether someone should lose their home.
While this is happening, we’ll continue to investigate new reports, gather evidence and support affected residents. You can help by reporting incidents promptly, and providing details such as dates, times and any supporting evidence, including images, videos and audio recordings.
Find out more on our website.
Worried about money? We’re here to help
As we head towards the festive season, you may be thinking about how to manage the extra costs that come with this time of year. If you’re worried about money, you don’t have to manage on your own.
If you’re struggling financially, or feeling concerned, please get in touch. We can offer advice and connect you with support services such as Citizens Advice and local food banks.
If you’re finding it difficult to pay your energy bills, contact your supplier as soon as possible to discuss your options. Money Saving Expert also has useful advice on getting help with energy bills here.
You can call us on 0300 303 1010 to speak with our Money Advice Partners, who can help to ensure you area receiving the correct benefits, help you complete benefits applications and support you with benefits reviews and appeals if needed.
The sooner you get in touch, the sooner we can help you.
Staying safer together in your community
Halloween is a time for fun, costumes and spooky celebrations, but it’s important to stay safe while enjoying the festivities!
Halloween costumes are often less fire-resistant than regular clothing, so check labels when buying and stay away from candles and open fires.
Remember that not everyone’s a Halloween fan. When trick-or-treating, only approach houses with decorations or a pumpkin.
Hertforshire Police have produced a handy ‘no trick-or-treat’ poster - download it here.
Firework safety
We recommend that you enjoy a public firework display, rather than buy your own fireworks. Public displays are bigger and a lot safer. But if you want to have your own display, take a look at some safety tips from the London Fire Brigade here.